MPs have urged the government to carry out a study into the possibility of fitting speed limiters to motorbikes.
BBC NEWS | UK | Call for motorbike speed limiters.
Ah, yes, the empty of head, knowing fuck all about fuck all want to legislate on something about which they know fuck all.
It is true that motorcycles account for a disproportionately high quantity of killed and seriously injured figures on British roads. This is in part due to the nature of the vehicle. A motorcyclist involved in an accident has no safety cage to provide protection. Therefore if involved in an accident, the motorcyclist stands a high chance of serious injury or death. The trick, therefore, is not to get involved with other drivers’ accidents. Indeed, given that motorcycle accidents are falling, that message seems to be one my fellow riders have taken to heart.
The vast majority of accidents occur where another vehicle is involved. Deciphering statistic speak, this means cars pulling out of junctions into the path of a motorcycle. The cause therefore is a combination of poor observation on the part of the driver and poor hazard awareness on the part of the rider. Speed may be a factor. However, a speed limiter designed to stop bikes exceeding speed limits will have no effect on such a situation in an urban environment where most of these incidents take place.
So, what are we left with? A bunch of brainless MPs (part of the job requirement, it seems) decide that big bikes = powerful = fast = dangerous = legislation needed. Yet a Dutch study concluded that there is no link between power output and accidents.
The report said: “We recommend that the government commission…research on the viability of introducing speed limiters on motorcycles in order to stimulate a sensible debate of the options.”
I’m not sure I’d use the expression “sensible debate” in the same sentence as “MP”; the two are irreconcilable.
Cutting pollution was another argument for reducing the maximum power and speed of bikes, the MPs said.
Given their ability to keep moving when other traffic is at a standstill, even the biggest bikes are more fuel efficient than cars, so this is just pure prejudice. If we can use the green argument, anything goes.
There have been at least seven deaths involving mini motos since mid-2004, five of which were children under the age of 15.
And putting a speed limiter on my 1100cc motorcycle will affect this how, exactly?
Of course, it would never occur to these retards that speed can be useful in incident management on a bike. Take for example a situation I experienced on the M4 travelling to Swindon not so long ago. Travelling in the middle lane at 70mph, I was passing a stream of traffic on my left. One driver decided to move out without checking and without signalling into my road space. I could not lose speed as the vehicle behind was travelling too close, I could not move out into the right hand lane because there was a vehicle approaching rapidly with the aim of passing me. There was one option left to me; open the throttle and accelerate hard out of trouble. Ask any motorcyclist if they have had to do something like this to avoid the stupidity of other road users and the answer will be in the affirmative. Never mind the reality though, a bunch of fuckwit MPs want to remove one of our lifelines and make our lives more dangerous.
Stupid, stupid, stupid…